Perhaps now more than ever before, we are all aware of the built environment that surrounds us, and of the impacts it has on the health of individuals, communities, and the planet. The Architecture of Place series brings together the established and emerging voices working to create a better built future.
From October through December 2023, the ICAA, INTBAU, and The King's Foundation will co-host The Architecture of Place: In Conversation with..., a series of interviews featuring three architects from different backgrounds and points of view: Alireza Sagharchi, Wesam Al Asali, and María Fernanda Sánchez. Over the three-part series, each speaker will have the chance to play the role of both interviewer and interviewee. In each installment, one of the three architects will be interviewed by one of the others about the influences, experiences, and projects that have led to their design perspective on the architecture of place. At the end of each session, students from partnering university departments will pose additional questions to the speakers, followed by an open Q&A with attendees.
The programs are free and open for public registration, and recorded versions of the programs will be made available to all.
In this iteration of the series, Alireza Sagharchi will interview María Fernanda Sánchez and her partner Pedro Pablo Godoy about their work, background, and design perspective.
Pedro Pablo Godoy and María Fernanda Sánchez are Architects and Urbanists with honors in Traditional Architecture, holding Master's degrees. They are the founders and directors of Estudio Urbano, a firm specializing in Architecture, Urban Planning, and Landscape Design. They are members of INTBAU College of Traditional Practitioners, sponsored by His Royal Highness,the Prince of Wales, as well as advisers to the University of Notre Dame. They are also directors and founders of the Civic Art Society, which promotes an integrated vision in the Art of Placemaking in Guatemala. They have worked internationally, including projects in Italy, México, United States, Ecuador and Guatemala.
Their work spans a wide range of projects, from affordable housing to urban master plans, all distinguished for their excellence in urban and architectural design. These projects have been exhibited in prestigious international institutions and featured in significant essays, magazines, and architecture and urban planning books. They have received numerous awards from national and international competitions. As Town Architects of the New City of Cayalá, they have garnered various globally recognized awards for their collaboration with Léon Krier, including the CNU Charter Award (2021), Acanthus Awards and Acanthus Award of Areté from the Chicago Midwest Chapter of the Institute of Classical Architecture & Art in 2015, along with the IMCL Honor Award in Bristol, UK in 2015, and the prestigious Arthur Ross Award presented by the Classical Institute of Architecture in New York in 2016.